1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a new microbiological process for the production of hydroxy-nitrogen-heterocyclic-carboxylic acids or their soluble salts of the general formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different and each is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group and X is a nitrogen atom or a CR.sub.3 function, wherein R.sub.3 is a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, starting from the corresponding nitrogen heterocyclic-carboxylic acids, as well as new microorganisms suitable for use in the process.
In the following material, it is to be understood that the category of nitrogen-heterocyclic-carboxylic acids, hydroxylated or not hydroxylated, also includes the soluble salts thereof, such as, their alkali or ammonium salts.
2. Background Art
2-Hydroxy-nitrogen-heterocyclic-carboxylic acids are important intermediate products in active ingredient syntheses. For example, 2-hydroxynicotinic acid can be used as the initial material for the production of 2-chloronicotinic acid (U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,451) which, for example, represents an important intermediate product for the production of pharmaceutical agents [Chemical Abstracts, 94:15515m, (1981), which abstracts [Ann. Pharm. Fr., 38(3) , (1980), pp. 243 to 252].
Until now no microbiological processes for the production of hydroxy-nitrogen-heterocyclic-carboxylic acids were known.